Planoqrapii co



J. M. KELLEY AND W. E. PRATT.

AIR MOISTEN'ING MEANS FOR FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, I918.

Patented July 15, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- AttornQs THE ODLUMBIA PLANOHRAPH 60-, WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. M. KELLEY AND W. E. PRATT.

AIR MUISTENING MEANS FOR FURNACES.

7 APPLICATION FILED JULY 27.19I8- -1,310,085. Patented July 15, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

laz'zzeys Tm: COLUMBIA PLANDORAPII 50., WASHINGTON, h. c.

-- to orric JOHN M. KELLEY A-ND WARD E. PRATT, QFcRQCI-IESTER, NEW YORK.

Ala-renames sea .sn lq q tion of e t rs re t- Batented July 15, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that we, 'Jonn M. KELLEY and WARD E. P n, citizens of the United States, and residents of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Moistening Means for Furnaces, of which the following is a'specife cation, w

The present invention relates to air moistening means for furnaces, and more particularly to the type in which water is supplied automatically by a float valve to a water container subject to the heat of the furnace, the water being evaporated and carried off with the hot alr to moisten such air. An object of this invention is to provide a n'ioistening means which is substantially universal in its application. Another object of the invention is to provide a float valve which is of simple and inexpensive construction and may be readily adjusted to operate at different water levels 'A further object of the invention is to provide a float valve supported on a bracket adapted to be attached to any suitable containeri and havingthe'water supply connected' to such valve in' a manner that permits the valve to be 10- cated inany desirable place; i

To these and other ends the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel 'features being pointed out in the appended claims/ In the drawings V Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional View through a furnace equipped with the present invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a float valve and its supporting brack et, the float being removed; i i

Fig '3 is a side view of the float valve;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through tail view .of the embodiment in which the valve'is connected to a water up 'y'p' pe- Referring more particularly to the drawings, A indicates a furnace formed with a hot air chamber 1 surrounding a the pot 2. In this hot'air chamber a water contalner 3 is arranged, this container preferably being substantially in the plane of the fire pot 2 and havingthe form of asegment of a circle lying in proximity to and supported by the outer wall of the furnace, being spaced from said by rings 4. The amount of water in thiscontainer 3 may be ascertained from a tube 5 which extends upwardly from the container through the wall of the furnace and is open at its upper end. This tube may be rotatably mounted on the container 3'so that it may be turned downwardly to the'position shown in dotted lines for the purpose of draining the container. A door 6 may be provided in the wall of the furnace adjacent one end of the container for the purpose of inspecting or repairing the floatvalve which ismounted in the container in. a manner tg be described. Preferably this end of the container indicated at 7 is enlarged so as to receive the float valve.

The float valve comprises preferably a valve member 8 of needle form having a rotary and an axial movement to cooperate with the valve seat 9 formed, in this instance, in a casing member 10, which has two bores 11 and 12 in axial alinement, the bore 12having a larger diameter than the bore 11, and the seat 9 being formed at the junction of the bores. The walls of the bore 12 are interiorly threaded to receive the external threads of the stem 13 of the valve member 8, so that when the valve member isturned it also partakes of an axial movement toward and from the valve seat 9.

Preferably the threaded connection between manner in which the valve opens, makes the valve self cleaning, as no small particles can collect between the valve member and its seat. This valve member 8 may be c0ntrolled by a float 14 in the form of a ball at one end of a stem 15, said stem having its inner end pivoted at 16 to a cross piece 17 rigidly secured to the stem 13 of the valve member 8. The stem 15 also has an arm 18 extending laterally from it at a point adjacent the pivot 16 and provided with a pin 19 adapted to operate within a curved slot 20" formed in the cross piece 17. This arrangen'ient gives a lost motion between the float and the valve member 8 for the purpose of preventing slight inequalities in the level of the water from effecting the opening and closing of the valve, it bemg apparent that when the valve is closed the water may recede slightly before the valve will be again opened, and when the opening does take place the action will be sudden, due to the fact that the water pressure will advance the valve member ahead of the float.

It is desirable to make provision for the operation of the float valve at different water levels, and to this end the valve seat 9 is adjustable toward and from the valve member 8, preferably by mounting the easing member 10 so that it may be rotated, this rotation producing the relative movement between the valve seat and the valve member 8. To secure these results the casing member 10 may be mounted in a second casing member 20, and be provided in its bore 12 with one or more ports 21, extending to an external annular groove 22 in the casing member 10. .This annular groove registers with a discharge opening 23 formed in the casing member 20 in any position to which the casing member 10 may be rotatably adjusted; A set screw 24 may be mounted on the casing member 20 to engage the easing member 10 in order to hold said casing member to the casing member 20, and in adjusted position. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the casing member 10 may turn freely in the casing member 20, whereas in the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the casing member 10 may be turned only after it.has been disengaged from the casing member 20, as the external wall of the casing member 10 and the internal wall of the casing member 20 are provided with registering ridges and grooves 25 which lock the casing member 10 against turning in the casing member 20 until the casing member 10 has been withdrawn axially from such casing member 20.

The casing member 20 may be formed separately from the supporting arm or bracket 26, or may be formed integrally with said bracket. In Fig. 5, the casing member 20 has a cylindrical portion 27 rotatable in a sleeve 28 formed in the bracket 26. This arrangement permits the float valve to be turned with reference to the bracket so that the float may operate at different positions with reference to the bracket. A set screw 29 passes through the sleeve 28 to engage the cylindrical portion 27 so as to hold the float valve in its adjusted position. In the embodiment shown in Figs. (3 and 7 this adjustment is not provided, as the casing member 20 is integral with the bracket 26.

The bracket 26 may be of any suitable construction, but it preferably proceeds laterally from the float valve and upwardly, its outer or upper end being provided with a hooked portion 35 adapted to engage over the upper edge of a wall of the container 3, where it may be held by two set screws 36 operating within oppositely-extending lugs 37 formed on the sides of the arm, these set screws tending to hold the bracket firmly to the container while at the same time permitting a slight lateral adjustment of the bracket or arm on the container the hook being employed as a fulcrum.

Water may be delivered to the float valve by a supply pipe 30 which has a lateral port 30 registering with a bore 30 in a split collar 30 clamped about the supply pipe. One member of-the clamp has a nipple 30 to which a valve 31 is connected. A flexible tube 32 of small dimension is connected to the valve 31 and extended through the outer wall of the furnace. Within the furnace it is provided with a tapered nipple 33 fitting within a flaring seat 3 1 on the casing member 10, and held to said seat by a collar 36 which is provided with an internal shoulder engaging an external shoulder on the nipple and also with internal threads engaging external threads on the casing member 10.

The operation of the invention will be understood from the foregoing, but it may be summarized as follows: Water from the supply pipe 30 passes through the flexible connection 32 to the float valve which, when 105 there is no water in the container 3, is open. As the water rises in the container 3, the

float ll also rises and effects a turning of the valve member 8 to move the latter axially toward the seat 9, closing the valve. Should it be desired to have the valve closed earlier or later, the casing member 10 is rotated in the casing member 20 until the desired closing position is secured, after which the set screw 24 is operated to hold the casing member 10 in its adjusted position. The joint between the float valve and the supporting bracket permits the float valve to be turned, so that the float will occupy the most convenient position and the flexible connection between the float valve and the supply pipe permits the bracket and the valve to be positioned at any desired place.

'What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A float valve comprising a screw threaded valve stem having a valve member at one end, a float connected to said stem to turn the latter, a rotatably mounted casing memwith a valve seat adjustable toward or from the valve member upon the rotation of the casing member to vary the position at which the float will cause the closing of the valve.

2. A float valve comprising a rotary and axially movable float-controlled valve member, a rotary casing member in which the valve member operates, formed with a valve seat, a surrounding groove and a port connecting said groove with the interior of the casing member, and a second casing member in which the first named casing member is rotatably mounted, having an opening adapted to register with the annular groove of the first named casing member.

3. A float valve comprising a valve seat, a valve member having a screw threaded stem by which the valve is moved toward and from its seat, the threaded connection being such that the valve will move away from the seat under pressure after such valve has been loosened on its seat, and a float having [lost-motion connection with the stem to loosen the valve on its seat and to close the valve.

4. A float valve comprising a valve seat, a valve member having a screw threaded stem by which the valve is moved toward and from its seat, a cross piece on the stem, and a float having a stem pivoted to the cross piece on one side of the turning axis of the copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the valve stem and having a pin and slot connection with the cross piece on the opposite side of said turning axis.

5. A float valve comprising a casing member provided with an outlet, a casing men1- ber having an inlet and an outlet and rotatably adjustable in the first named casing member while maintaining communication with the outlet of the first named casing member in its different positions of adjustment, a valve seat on the rotatably adjustable casing member, a valve for cooperating with the valve seat having a screw threaded stem operating inthe rotatably adjustable casing member, and a float connected to said valve stem.

6. In combination with a float valve, a supporting arm for the valve having a hook for engaging a suitable container, said arm carrying a pair of adjusting screws by which the arm may be adjusted laterally 011 the hook as a fulcrum.

7. In combination with a supply pipe, a flexible pipe connected with the supply pipe, a container for the water, a bracket detachably connected to the container, and a float valve rotatable on the bracket about an upright axis and connected to the flexible sup ply pipe.

JOHN M. KELLEY. WARD E. PRATT.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

